CDS

The Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination is conducted by UPSC twice a year for recruitment to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Officers Training Academy (OTA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA). Unlike NDA which is for Class 12 students, CDS requires graduation — making it the primary route for graduates who want to join the Armed Forces as officers.

The written exam has three papers: English (100 marks), General Knowledge (100 marks), and Elementary Mathematics (100 marks, not required for OTA). Both IMA and INA require all three papers; OTA requires only English and GK. Candidates who clear the written exam appear for the SSB interview — the same 5-day personality assessment process used for NDA, AFCAT, and all Armed Forces officer selections.

The age eligibility varies by academy: IMA for unmarried male graduates aged 19–24, INA for unmarried male graduates in specific engineering/science streams aged 19–22, AFA for graduates with Physics and Mathematics aged 19–23, and OTA for graduates (both male and female) aged 19–25. Women can apply only for OTA. Our editorial team reviews CDS notifications and SSB interview preparation strategy against official UPSC notifications and published guidelines from the Ministry of Defence, last updated July 2026.